Process for extracting potassium salts



UNITED STATES JOHN ALLINGHAM, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. v

PROCESS FOR EXTRACTING POTASSIUM SALTS,

No Drawing.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN ALLINGHAM, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Process for Extracting Potassium Salts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a process for the extraction of potassium, and particularly for the extraction of potassium from feldspar and other potassium-bearing rocks. The invention has for its object to provide a process of this character or for this purpose which will be relatively simple and inexpensive in its carrying on or practice or furtherance, taken in conjunction with efiiciency and expediency and general adaptability. The invention consists in the novel and useful steps and sequence of steps and acts hereinafter disclosed and finally pointed out in claims.

It will be understood that many variations in detail may be made in departure from the specific definition of the process which I am about to disclose. However, the process may be successfully and with high efficiency carried on as follows:

First, the potassium-bearing feldspar or other rock is suitably ground to a fineness of at least twenty mesh, and in this form is intimately mixed with common salt or sodium chlorid and crude oil and sulfur. In weight, forty per cent. (40%) sodium chlorid and two per cent. (2%) of such oil, any hydro-carbon oil being suitable, and two (2) to five per cent. (5%) sulfur, are satisfactory proportions in the admixture. I have found that the use of the crude oil is not wholly essential and therefore may be dispensed with and the sulfur relied upon to perform entirely the ofiices of the hydrocarbon oil and the sulfur where both are used. This mixture is roasted or heated in a furnace to a temperature ranging from 800 to 900 centigrade. Reduction of the mixture above mentioned is accomplished by heating the same to a suitable temperature, as stated, with the air largely excluded from the furnace. During this subjection of this mixture to a reducing action in the furnace, the maintenance of the reducing action is assisted by the oil or sulfur, or both, which is or are present in the mixture. The sodium chlorid is decomposed to some extent and chlorin is evolved or liberated, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2, 1921.

Application filed August 17, 1918. Serial No. 250,348.

this reacts upon the silicates in the ground rock and potassium chlorid results. Likewise apparently the sulfur reacts to some extent upon the potassium and produces potassium sulfid. The resultant heated mass is now removed from the furnace and ground and lixiviated with water. The potash is then recovered from the leaching liquor by crystallization.

The process above described is one which may be convenientlycarried on in regions remote from industrial centers, requiring only suitable supplies of common. salt and sulfur and crude oil, and both latter serve both as agents for maintaining proper reducing action in the furnace, as well as heat producing agencies or fuel.

Likewise the process may be carried on at an expense relatively small in proportion to the commercial value of the resultant potassium chlorid product. This product may, of course, be worked over into salts of varylng kinds, all as the commercial demand may dictate.

As above pointed out, the specific details disclosed, relative to percentages of oil and salt, and the like, are not to be confused with the broad distinguishing characteristics of the process, and many variations and departures from the specific disclosure hereinabove may be made within a fair spirit of interpretation of the invention.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The herein disclosed process for extracting potassium, comprising, first, the admixing of the finely divided potassiumbearing rock with common salt and sulfur; second, reducing such admixture in a furnace by heating the same to a suitable temperature under air regulation therein, the maintenance of which reducing action is as sisted by the presence of said sulfur; third, the lixiviating of the mass with water after its removal from the furnace, and, fourth, the recovery of the resultant potassium chlorid by crystallization.

2. The herein disclosed process for extracting potassium, comprising, first, the admixing of the finely divided potassiumbearing rock with common salt and sulfur; second, reducing the admixture by heating the same to a suitable temperature with the air largely excluded from the furnace; third, the lixiviating of the mass with water after its removal from the furnace, and,

fourth, the recovery of the resultant potas tracting potassium, comprising, first, the admixing of the finely divided potassiumbearing rock with common salt and sulfur;

second, heating under air'regulation' such admixture in a furnace to a temperature apa reducing action, the maintenanceofiwhich" fourth, the recovery of the resultant poproximately of from 800 to 900 centigrade, to setup a reducing action, the maintenance of which is assisted by the presence of said sulfur third, the lixiviating of the mass withwater after its removal from the furnace, and, fourth, the recovery of the resultant potassium chlorid by crystallization. 7 c

4:. The herein disclosed process 'for extracting potassium, comprising, first, the admixing of the finely divided potassiumbearing rock with common salt and sulfur in proportions of substantially forty per cent. (40%) as to the salt and three per cent. (3%.) as to the sulfur with relation to the Weight of the admixture; second, heating under air regulation such admixture in a furnace to a suitable temperature to vset upv is assisted bythe presence of said sulfur;

third, the lixiviating of the mass with water after its removal from the furnace, and,

tassium chlorid by crystallization; o

r j 5 The herein disclosed process for ex I tracting potassium, comprising,'first, the ad- :mixing of the finely dividedhpotassiumbearing rock with comon salt and sulfur and hydro-carbon oil;.. second, heating under air regulation sucha dmi'xt'ure in a furnace to a 'suitable temperature to set up a reducing action, the maintenance of which is assisted by thepresence of said-sulfur, third, the lixiviating of the mass with water after its removal from the'furnace, and, fourth, the recovery of the resultant by crystallization. V V a 7 6; The herein disclosed process of extractingpotassium, comprising, first, the admixing of the finely divided potassium-- bearing rock with common salt and sulfur and hydro-carbon oil in ap roximate proportions of'forty per cent. 40%) common salt, two per cent. (2%) hydro-carbon oil and three percent; (3%) sulfur, byweight; second, heating under air regulation *such admixture in a furnace to a suitable teinperatureto setup a'reducing' action, the maintenance ofwhich is assisted 'by the presence of said sulfur; third, the lixiviating of the mass with Water after its removal from the furnace, and, fourth, the recovery of the resultant potassium chlorid by crystallization; V 7 V In testimony whereof,- 'I have signed my two subscribing witnesses 1 flVitn'esses; I

RUTH BRoWmj' XV. H; BnA'roN;

potassium chlorid name to this specification inthe presence of.

r N, ALL'INGHAM. 1 V 

